If You Go, I Go
by erinjoy29
Summary: Sasha plans to leave Boulder. After finding the letter he left her, Payson won't let him go. Before he knows it, his sanctuary in Cambria has been invaded by an extremely determined Payson Keeler, who claims she won't be going anywhere without him.
1. Decisions Are Made

Payson sighed as she reached her bedroom. Finally. She'd had an exhausting day. Sasha had decided she was ready to make the National Gymnastics Committee reconsider their decision to let her onto the team. At first, she was hesitant, but Sasha's unwavering faith convinced her that he was right. She _was_ ready; and it was proven today when they put her on the team for Worlds by a special vote.

It was like she was in a dream. She floated through the moments immediately after the trials. All the congratulations she received went in one ear and out the other as she searched for Sasha; she needed to see him and thank him for everything.

After speaking to Dmitri Belov, he told her that Sasha had left. What troubled her more, was Dmitri had said Sasha appeared to be a mess. Payson couldn't fathom why; his girls had made the team, despite Ellen Beals' meddling. He should be ecstatic; he should be celebrating with them, but he was nowhere to be found. She found her parents almost straight away, and asked them if it would be okay if they went home early. She wanted to get out of here, it wasn't quite as fun when she couldn't celebrate with the person she wanted to.

They made it home within the hour. Driving past The Rock, Sasha's trailer looked unattended; his car was gone, so he obviously wasn't back from the trials yet.

Payson entered her room in a daze. She couldn't stop thinking about how amazing this all was. She was back. She was really back. And she had Sasha to thank for it. As she was lost in thoughts of Sasha, she was suddenly pulled back to reality when she noticed a letter sitting on her desk. Her name was written on the front, and as Payson opened the letter, she had a feeling this wasn't going to be good news.

_Dearest Payson,_

_I'm writing this to you before we go to the Worlds trials, because I want you to know that I knew all along how wonderful you were going to be in front of the committee. I wanted you to know that I've had faith in you all along._

_After today, I am sure that you will have proved them all wrong. You are an amazing gymnast; you have come so far since your accident, and sometimes I can't figure out how you did it. You had such focus, and once you set your mind to it, you could achieve anything._

_That is part of the reason you are the one I am leaving this letter for. I hope you'll be able to understand why I have made the decision to leave._

_You and the other girls will be better off without me. I have faith that you will be able to work with my father and continue in your quest for Olympic Gold. You will succeed Payson, and I believe you will be able to become an even better artistic gymnast than you already are._

_I told you something on my first day training you at The Rock. I don't think you'll remember, so I'm going to say it again. You are a beautiful young woman, Payson Keeler. Let that shine through and you will show the world that you are the champion _I_ always knew you were._

_We'll meet again, I promise you that._

_Love always,_

_Sasha_

Tears gathered in her eyes as she read, and before she knew it she was throwing it in her bag and packing a suitcase; regular clothes and leotards, just in case. As she was about to close her bag, she looked over to her bed, and as a last-minute decision, decided to pack her leprechaun toy for luck. It was a well-kept secret, she secretly believed in leprechauns as a child. Despite growing older, she still had a fondness for them. Her mother found this incredibly amusing of late, for some reason.

The last thing Payson grabbed was the picture she had of Sasha winning his Olympic gold medal. She had always kept it tucked into her mirror, but she felt she would need it with her when she left. Payson didn't have a plan exactly, but she knew she wasn't going to let him leave, and if she had to follow him, she would.

Payson closed the door to her room, and seeing her parents watching TV, decided to be vague and hope that they would be distracted enough not to realise how ridiculous her excuse for disappearing was. "Mom, Dad?"

"Yeah, Pay?" Kim asks, barely turning away from the TV.

"I was wondering if you'd mind if I went on a little trip? I just got a call from Andrea Conway; she wanted to invite me to go train with her for a bit at her gym. With Sasha leaving today, I just need to get away. Is it okay if I go?" Payson didn't really believe her parents were going to go for it, but she had to try something. She couldn't have them knowing where she was really going.

"Well, are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself? I can go with you if you want?"

"No! I mean, no, that's fine. I'll be fine by myself. You stay here with Becca."

"Well, alright. Be sure to call when you can. We'll miss you. Do you know how long you're going to stay for?"

Now, Payson wasn't sure what to say, she wasn't sure how long this was going to take. "Well, I was thinking at least a few weeks. I don't really know whether I'm going to like it there, so I could be back in a few days if it doesn't go well. But I'll be sure to call you and let you know what it's like. Do you want me to take Dad's car so you can still take Becca to the gym?"

"Good thinking, Pay. You know, you should probably get going. If you leave now, you'll make it well before dark."

As she was leaving, Payson gave her Mom a hug, holding on for a moment longer than she usually did. She hated not knowing when she'd next have the chance to do so again. Kim gave her a confused smile, but let go and continued watching the TV as Payson started backing out of the driveway.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are appreciated :)

I have the entire story planned out, so I know exactly where I'm going with it and what's going to happen. I figure I'll add in little extras every now and then if I get stuck, but I'll get it all on here eventually :)


	2. I'm Not Taking You With Me

Payson closed her eyes and took a deep breath before putting the car in reverse and backing out of the driveway. The gym was only about 5 minutes away, so she planned on going there first, in the hope that Sasha was still there.

As she drove, she thought about what she was going to say to him. She honestly had no idea, and was hoping she could come up with something by the time she got there. She doubted there was really anything she could do to make him stay, but she was certainly going to try. She'd do whatever it took to get through to him; he needed to know that they needed him. She couldn't survive without him. She'd never make it to the Olympics without him.

It wasn't until she reached The Rock, that she realised this was more about her than the team. It made her feel selfish, but it was the truth. She needed him more than any of the others did. They would be able to train with another coach easily, but Sasha was the only one she could trust completely. He was the only one she could trust to believe in her no matter what.

As she drove into the parking lot of The Rock, Payson saw Sasha attaching his trailer to his jeep. A bad feeling washed over her as she parked in one of the closest parking spots, and immediately started storming over to him.

As soon as she felt she was within hearing range, she spoke loudly. "How dare you? How can you do this after all we've been through?"

Sasha was visibly startled as her accusations reached him. He turned around immediately and was faced with a furious Payson Keeler. Needless to say, he had to admit he was slightly afraid of her reaction. He had expected her to be upset, but had figured she would eventually get over it and move on. Apparently, he had completely underestimated her attachment to him.

Eventually, Sasha responded, as Payson's glare was getting a bit scary. "Payson, I told you in my letter why I'm leaving. You can't exactly stop me."

Payson couldn't believe him. He was seriously going to just leave them here without a coach. "Maybe not, but I'm not letting you leave without telling you how much of an asshole you are." Sasha's eyebrows raised as she swore; he'd never imagined Payson would speak like that, let alone to him. "Yeah, that's right, you're a complete asshole. You're exactly like Marty! He left us right before Nationals, and you're leaving us right before Worlds. In fact, that kind of makes you worse."

"Payson, it's better for everyone if I leave. I've ended up hurting all the people around me here, and I need to get away before I do any more damage. You may not understand, but I'm doing what's best for you." To Payson, he looked like he really believed what he was saying. She had a feeling it was going to be harder than she thought it would be to get him to coach them again.

"Sasha, you're being ridiculous. I don't know how you can believe you're hurting us. You're the reason I'm on the team for Worlds. Without you I'd be nothing. I'd be a regular teenager with no hope of winning gold at the Olympics; and I wouldn't have that chance if you had just given up on me like everyone else. Please, Sasha, don't go. We need you here. _I_ need you here. I can't do this without you."

"That's where you're wrong. You're going to be fine without me. It's not me doing those routines, it's you Payson. Just believe in yourself and you'll have that gold medal around your neck before you know it. Trust me."

Payson paused, before she continued with her attempts at making him stay. "How can you ask me to trust you when you're abandoning me? Trust _me_. I need you here." She stopped, and they both stared at each other in silence.

Sasha spoke again, and this time he sounded exhausted. "Payson, there's nothing I can say to make you accept my decision, is there?"

"No."

"Then I'm going to say one last thing before I go. I'm sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am, but my reasons for leaving won't change any time soon. Therefore, as soon as I've been to the store to pick up another one of these ridiculous trailer connectors, I'll be leaving." He turned towards his jeep and as he was getting in, turned back to her once more. "Goodbye, Payson."

Payson couldn't let him do this. She couldn't just let him leave like this. She ran to the car, and he rolled down the window as he saw her coming over. When she spoke, she was close to tears. "Sasha, if you really have to leave, take me with you. Please. I want to go. I'll go wherever you're going and I'll train every day, I promise. I'll be better than ever. I'll be the perfect gymnast, I won't be any trouble. Just please take me with you."

"Payson, you know that's not possible. Besides, when I said I was hurting everyone around me, I meant you too. I know you don't seem to think so, but I am. And I can't hurt you any more Payson. It's hurting me too much."

"You're hurting me now. But you don't seem to care about that." She had tears running down her face, and the only thing Sasha wanted to do was to reach out his hand and brush them away. He restrained himself; he knew that would be crossing a line. He didn't have any right to touch her like that.

"I know. And I'll feel guilty about it for the next few _years_, I have no doubt. But leaving is what's best for you, and that's why I'm going. I'm not good for you, Payson. I'm not good for anyone here."

"You're wrong Sasha. If you leave, we'll come after you. All of us, I'll get the girls together and we'll follow you." She sounded desperate, and it killed him to see her so distraught. He hated to do it, but he needed to make sure they wouldn't come after him. So he was going to lie.

"Nobody knows where I'm going Payson. There's no way you'll be able to find me once I've gone if I don't want you to." Realistically, if the girls had wanted to find him, they would have eventually figured out that Steve Tanner would know where to find him. He was the one to go and recruit him in the first place.

"I'll follow you in my car." She looked so serious, he wanted to laugh. He didn't doubt that she would, and he needed to nip that idea in the bud.

"If I see your car, I'll call your mother and demand she come get you. I don't want it to come to that, Payson. So please, just go home and rest. You have a big few weeks ahead of you." She knew he was right, but she wasn't going to give in that easily.

"Sasha, please just let me come with you!" She didn't expect him to say yes, but the hope was there anyway.

"I'm not taking you with me, Payson." What bothered him the most was the urge he had to just open the door and let her climb in. He knew it was insane, but he wanted to take her with him. He could see an image of them having a grand time at his house in Cambria. He was pulled out of his musings as Payson stormed off.

The last thing he heard was the quiet muttering of Payson's voice, "We'll see about that, Sasha!" For some reason, he was more than a little worried about what she meant by that.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think :D


	3. It Hurts To Leave

Sasha arrived back at The Rock about 20 minutes later to a deserted parking lot. There was a pang in his chest as he realised Payson had given up so easily. He'd honestly expected to come back and find her chained to the trailer, or something equally ridiculous. As it was, she was nowhere to be seen, nor was her car, so he assumed she must have gone home. On the other hand, she could have gone to unite the team and bring them here to stop him together.

With that thought, Sasha was spurred into action. He immediately reached across the console and grabbed the dumb trailer attaching thing. He didn't know what the hell it was called, and it was his lack of terminology that took him double the time explaining what it was to the salesperson. Needless to say, Sasha wasn't in any better of a mood than when he left Payson in tears. Just thinking about it made him angrier, and he ripped the stupid attaching thing out of the package a little more forceful than necessary.

It took less than 5 minutes to have the trailer attached and ready to go. He checked it one last time to be safe. He wanted to grab a drink before he left, but when he went to enter the trailer found it already locked. Deciding that wasting any more time would just give Payson more time to get back to The Rock, Sasha just checked that the trailer was definitely locked before climbing into the driver's seat.

He took one last look around before putting the car into drive. Leaving The Rock was harder than he thought it was going to be. He was flooded with memories of training the girls at The Rock, along with moments when he had helped them overcome their fears; where he had encouraged them to try something new. He almost stopped, he wanted to go back and be their coach again. But the thought of how he couldn't help Emily when she was arrested; and how he ignored the signs that led to Kaylie passing out made him turn the corner.

He made it all the way to the sign telling you that you're leaving Boulder, before once more questioning his decision. This time, it was Payson's face that crossed his mind. She was smiling in that way she did when she was truly happy. It made him want to turn around and tell her he was sorry for putting her through this. He wanted to make her smile like that again.

He knew he couldn't though. So he kept driving and never looked back. He knew if he did, he would never leave.

* * *

It had to be around midnight when Sasha finally decided to stop for the night. He knew it wasn't the best idea to be driving so late, but every time he went to pull over he changed his mind, deciding that the further away he got, the less it would hurt.

Turns out he was just kidding himself. It wasn't helping at all. He couldn't get Payson out of his mind. He felt like he was drowning in her. The guilt was eating away at him, and he suspected his tiredness wasn't helping. Making the decision immediately, he went to get some sleep in the trailer.

However, when he went to let himself into the trailer, he found that he couldn't open the door for some reason. He didn't want to waste precious time stuffing around with it, and so decided to just pay for a room at a hotel for the night. The stupid thing had caused enough trouble today, and he had half a mind to just sell the thing tomorrow. He knew that would be a bad idea, but it was certainly appealing when hotels were so expensive last minute.

After parking his car and the trailer in the parking lot, Sasha headed into his hotel room and immediately fell asleep.

* * *

Sasha woke up at 7:00 in the morning. He was normally up at 4:00, but after the late night, he could understand why his body had needed the extra rest.

He got some breakfast and had a shower before making sure he had everything. He was out of the hotel by 8:00 and planned to be in Cambria a little before dark.

He had to admit, he had missed the place. It was his, and almost nobody knew it was there. Unfortunately, the people that did were capable of being bought in the case of Steve Tanner. He could only hope the man wouldn't tell anyone where he was, not that Steve could be sure he would return to Cambria.

Sasha spent the day attempting to not think about the girls he had left back in Boulder without a coach. Payson was right, he was exactly like Marty. He hated that she was right. The guilt was eating away at him, and he knew he would have to do something about it before he attempted to settle back into life in Cambria.

It was after he had been driving for about 3 hours, that Sasha made a phone call to the one man he knew he could trust with the girls. After he dialled, Sasha waited nervously for the person on the other end to pick up.

"This is Belov." It wasn't Sasha speaking.

"Dad. It's me."

"Sasha. Where are you? Everyone is looking for you. You must come to the gym immediately. The girls need to be trained."

"That's why I'm calling. You were right when you said I couldn't protect them from everything. I've decided that it would be best if I left."

"Sasha. I did not mean for you to leave. Of course you cannot protect them from everything, nobody can. You cannot do this. The girls, they need you."

"I want you to take care of them for me, Dad. Please. Up until the trials I've never asked anything like this of you. I know you don't owe me anything, but please, I need someone I can trust to watch out for their best interests. I can't be there anymore. I know you'll be a great coach to them. They deserve that. I was only hurting them."

"I think that you are the only one who believes you were hurting them, son. Though I know you well enough to know that nothing I say will change your mind." There was a pause as Sasha had nothing to say. Dmitri continued in his thick Romanian accent, "Very well, Sasha. I will do this for you. I will train them until you are ready to do so again. I only hope it is sooner rather than later. These girls need you, Sasha."

"No they don't. She doesn't need me, she'll be fine on her own."

"I said 'they' Sasha. I was not aware this was about a specific gymnast. Perhaps your favourite, Payson Keeler? Don't think I did not hear the rumours, Sasha. I doubt they are true, but I also doubt they are completely made up. Tell me the truth, why are you leaving? Is it because of her?"

Sasha wasn't exactly sure what to say to his father, and was extremely confused as to how Dmitri had managed to conclude that Payson was a big part of his reasons for leaving. But the damage was done, and now he would have to explain what had happened.

"It's complicated. Payson and I became very close when we were working on her comeback. We relied on each other in a way I haven't since Nikolai. Things were... I suppose intense would be an accurate description. One night, we were taping her floor routine, and it was perfect. She kissed me, and someone found the tape and sent it to Ellen Beals. I pulled away from her, but the tape didn't show that. Things have only gotten worse since then in one way or another. The only thing I am grateful for is that it hasn't affected her chances at going to the Olympics. I couldn't stand the idea of this silly incident affecting people's view of her. I did what was best for them in the long run, especially her. I know I hurt her when I left. She'll get through it though. She'll be fine."

Dmitri was silent for a few moments, and Sasha was beginning to think that he had said too much. He was afraid of what his reaction was going to be. However, what Dmitri did say was nothing that Sasha would have expected in a million years. "I never thought I would see the day my son would have feelings for one of his gymnasts."

"Dad, she kissed me. I never said I had feelings for her. It would be wrong for me to have feelings for her. It would be a complete betrayal of everyone's trust in me as a coach. I'm there to train the girls, not fall for them."

"Stop being so dramatic, Sasha. I knew this would happen eventually. Now please come back to Boulder and get over yourself. There are more important things that your crush on Payson Keeler."

At the mention of the word 'crush', Sasha's face turned a surprising shade of red. The reaction was instantaneous, and the first thing he said was spoken in a harsh whisper, as if being spoken any louder would mean the whole world would know. "I do not have a _crush_ on Payson Keeler. I would appreciate it if you would not say so when you are on the phone when anyone could hear you. Actually, just don't say it at all." Sasha paused for a moment, looking down at his watch. "Look, I really need to get going. I'm headed to Cambria, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone where I'm going."

"Of course not."

"I mean it, Dad. No meddling. I swear that I will hunt you down if you are responsible for Payson Keeler turning up in Cambria."

"Sasha, I would not do that to you." Something in Dmitri's voice made Sasha doubt his father's words.

"Ha! I wouldn't put it past you, you, you meddler." Probably not the best comeback, and now it was time to make an escape. "Look Dad, I need to get going. I'll call soon to find out how the girls are doing."

"I look forward to your call, son. Enjoy Cambria, I hear it is a good time for fishing, yes?"

His father was well known for being a babbler at the end of phone calls. You try to leave, and he keeps inadvertently continuing the conversation. Sasha knew just what to say to cut the conversation short, but it would be at the risk of bringing up one of his more childish moments. "Yeah, Dad. I'll send you a fish."

"That was not funny the first time Sasha. Do not do it again."

Sasha couldn't help but laugh into the phone as his father spoke to him like a child again. One summer, Sasha had thought it would be a great idea to send his father a fish he had caught. The fish arrived a little over a week after it was posted, and was a rather unwelcome gift. Sasha still recalled the yelling he was subjected to when his father realised it was him who had sent it.

"Bye, Dad. I really need to head off again. I'm hoping to get to Cambria before dark."

"Alright. Drive safely. Call me when you arrive so I know you have not crashed and died."

"And on that morbid note, I'm hanging up."

Sasha did just that. His father was an extremely odd man. They had never seen eye to eye, but they got along most of the time. After Nikolai, it had taken years for them to get back to the place they were now. Sasha had to admit, despite his father's tendency to purposely try to bait him and annoy him, he loved him very much. He also respected the man a great deal, and that was one of the reasons he trusted him with the girls.

Sasha spent the next half hour driving along the highway staring aimlessly out the front window. In an attempt to stop the boredom, Sasha decided to stick the radio on in an attempt to pass the time. He spent the time singing along to the songs he knew, and laughing at the entertaining radio hosts.

* * *

Before he knew it, he was in Cambria. Just as he had planned, it was a couple of hours before dark. As he turned the corner to go down the dirt road that lead to his house, he felt a calmness wash over him. He was home.

Little did he know, very soon after he parked in the driveway, he was going to get the shock of his life.

* * *

I decided that I wanted Sasha to have a relatively good relationship with his father. I like the idea of being able to write Dmitri however I like, because we actually don't know that much about him. So I hope you like what I'm doing with him.

By the way, half the time as I was writing this, I was imagining Dmitri's voice to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator Movies. Once I realised that every time I would read one of Dmitri's lines back to myself, it would come out as half Bela Karolyi and half Terminator, I couldn't stop laughing and thought I would share my silliness with you.


	4. Surprises In Cambria

Sasha's eyes took in his surroundings as he approached his house in Cambria. He could see the river as it winded up and around the house. There were a lot of large trees scattered around the property that provided shade in the warmer months. The house itself was quite beautiful. Stone walls on the outside, and a chimney protruding from the roof. It was old-fashioned, but he loved it anyway. He'd bought it about 10 years ago, and since then he had made many changes to the initial design without losing the original look. That was the one thing he didn't want to change about the place. The moment he had first seen it, he had fallen in love with it.

The house itself had a garage attached, which was where Sasha was going to be putting the trailer for now. He had no immediate plans to use it, and having it in the garage meant he had access to it from the house without letting the world know it was there. Of course, nobody really came out here. There were probably a handful of people in the world who even knew this part of Cambria existed. It was his well-kept secret, and he wasn't going to be telling anyone about it any time soon.

After the difficult task of backing the trailer into the garage, Sasha pressed the button on the wall to let the garage door slide down. He got his keys out, and proceeded to unlock the door leading from the garage to the house. The lock held for a moment, and then with a click, he swung the old wooden door inward and stepped foot into his home for the first time in over a year.

The living room was where he entered. Immediately to his left was the fireplace, and opposite it a comfortable couch. Above the fireplace, was where one of Sasha's few luxuries hung, a flat-screen TV that he remembered watching gymnastics on before he went to The Rock. The floor was wooden, as were the rest of the floors throughout most of the house. The walls were also made of wood, and Sasha was happy to see the house had stayed the same in his absence.

To his right was his dining room. The room actually consisted of a table and four chairs, and was rather small. There was a door that led to the front of the house, situated a little further away from the dining room. The kitchen was north of the dining room, and the sight of his fridge reminded him he would have to go and get food soon. He had forgotten to stop and pick some up on the way, and would probably end up starving without any.

The first thing Sasha did after he had surveyed the living room, was head over to one of the bedrooms and through to his bathroom. It appeared he would need to bring his toiletries in from the trailer, as the house was bare.

Walking back out to the living room, Sasha was in the middle of opening the windows to allow some fresh air to circulate, when he heard a noise come from the garage. Thinking to himself that all he would need was a family of squirrels, he finished opening the window and started walking back towards the garage.

As he reached the couch in front of the fireplace, he was so startled that he stopped in his tracks. The sight before him was so incomprehensible that he could only stare. In the doorway looking quite dishevelled, was someone he definitely had not been expecting to see. He stood staring for what felt like an eternity, his mouth gaping in disbelief. Until finally, he found some words. "What the hell are you doing here, Payson?"

For a moment, she simply stood in the doorway rubbing her eyes. To be honest, it looked as if she had been sleeping. Her hair was a mess of soft curls that he had only seen on her once or twice before, and she was wearing what appeared to be one of his shirts. Sasha was somewhat relieved to see she appeared to be wearing the same shorts she had been wearing two days ago underneath, which put to rest any images he had of her in his shirt alone. But once it registered that Payson was somehow in Cambria, he had to admit he was suffering from a lot of confusion. _How_ did she even get here?

When she didn't answer him, he tried again. "Payson?" This time her head looked up, and she looked a little confused herself. "Care to answer my question as to what you're doing here? Not to mention how you even got here?"

"Right." She appeared to be waking up a little more. "About that... I told you I wasn't going to let you leave without me."

Sasha was incredibly confused. He had accepted she was here, and was not looking forward to having to drive her back to Boulder, but that still didn't answer the question of how she managed to get here without him seeing her car following him.

"Payson, I need you to focus. How did you get here?"

A weird smile developed on her face as the question finally seemed to register in her brain; she actually appeared to be about to burst out in laughter. "Funny story, actually." She proceeded to explain just how she had ended up in Cambria...

_**2 Days Ago**_

_Payson walked away from Sasha's car, wiping the tears away from her face. She couldn't believe he was going to just leave like this. As she reached her car, she turned to see him driving off to the store. She stood for a moment watching as he drove out of her life. She had to do something._

_Insane ideas appeared randomly in her mind, each crazier than the last. But she wasn't in any state of mind to turn them down immediately. She walked over to the trailer, and by some stroke of luck, the door to the trailer was unlocked. She walked in, looking for something that she could hold hostage that Sasha wouldn't dare leave without._

_As she was looking around, she realised where she was. She was in Sasha's trailer. He wasn't here. She was alone in Sasha's trailer, and nobody would be coming back for at least 15 minutes. An absolutely insane idea crossed her mind, and before she could think about what she was doing, she had already walked back to her car and started the ignition._

_Payson drove around the corner and out to the back of the gym. Nobody ever came out here, and the only reason she knew about it was because Emily once told her she snuck into the gym once when Sasha was out front. She drove over to the small mini-garages and parked her car in one of them. Nobody would be able to see it from any direction, and even if they did, nobody would think anything suspicious of it._

_She grabbed her suitcase out of the back seat and threw her gym bag over her shoulder as she dragged her suitcase along beside her back to Sasha's trailer. She looked around, and was relieved to see the parking lot was still deserted. She opened the door to the trailer and threw her gym bag in. She climbed up the stairs backwards, dragging her suitcase along before throwing it towards the back somewhere. After repeating the process with her gym bag, she walked over to the door once more and closed it, herself on the inside. She clicked the lock and took a seat on the seat next to the kitchen._

_After about a minute, she heard the sound of Sasha's jeep as he parked it in front of the trailer. She heard him clanging around and cursing to himself as he attempted to attach the trailer to the jeep. His exclamation startled her as he finally got it. She held her breath as she waited for him to start driving, but nearly screamed when she heard him attempting to open the door to the trailer. She squashed the urge, and merely held her breath, hoping that he didn't need anything important._

_There was silence for a moment, and then she heard him try the lock again. Apparently luck was on her side, as not a minute later, the trailer lurched as Sasha started driving. She couldn't believe she was doing this. But it wasn't like he gave her any other option. She was sure that when she looked back, she was going to kick herself for going through with this ridiculous plan. But in this moment in time, she truly believed it was her only choice._

_Payson eventually moved over to the bed and after hesitating for a moment, decided she might as well get some rest. She lay down, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep._

_Payson woke to the sound of the trailer stopping and an overwhelming fear overcame her. She had no idea what she was going to do if Sasha decided he wanted to sleep in the trailer. After about 15 minutes, she managed to move out of the bed and over to one of the small windows. As she looked out, she immediately ducked down. She could see Sasha walking across a car park to what appeared to be a hotel room. Realistically, she knew he couldn't see her, but she didn't want to take the chance. If he found her too soon, he would probably just take her back to Boulder and make sure her parents kept a close eye on her. She'd never be able to live down the embarrassment if her parents found out about this; it was bad enough when they found out she had kissed him._

_Looking back, she was sure it was the reason she couldn't sleep that night. She entertained herself with one of Sasha's crosswords. She didn't know any of the answers and ended up scribbling out the entire thing after about 10 minutes, but it passed the time. Before she knew it; it was 8:00 in the morning and Sasha was heading out to the jeep again. She couldn't believe he had slept so long, but to be fair, she had no idea what time they had stopped last night, she just knew it was probably very late._

_As he started driving again, Payson realised she was a little hungry; hardly surprising since she hadn't eaten since yesterday. She quickly helped herself to some food, relief flooding her as she devoured the leftovers in Sasha's fridge. It wasn't good for her, but there wasn't anything else available. She reached up to the top cabinet and grabbed a glass which she filled with water. She went to take a sip, but at that exact moment, Sasha must have hit a pothole in the road; because it caused the water to splash down the front of her shirt. She scrambled to take her shirt off, as the cold water was making it extremely uncomfortable._

_As she went to open her suitcase, she tugged at it for a while before she accepted the fact that the zipper was refusing to come down. After tugging at it again for the better part of a minute, she realised she was going to have to consider other options. A part of her was starting to think she was being punished for actually going through with this plan. Her next option was the gym bag, but she knew she had no shirts in there, or at least none that didn't smell awful. And there was no way she was going to sit around in a leo. Time went by quickly, before she came to the conclusion she was going to have to find something of Sasha's to wear. Being found in one of his shirts was probably better than being found with no top on._

_She looked around and started opening some doors until she found what appeared to be Sasha's wardrobe. She searched through until she found a shirt that looked comfortable. It was one she had seen him wear a few times, and she had always thought the fabric was very soft when he embraced her after a good routine. She slid her soaking bra off, throwing it to the ground somewhere, and slipped the shirt on; sighing as she was comfortable again._

_Having nothing to do, she lay down on the bed again, and once more fell asleep. Before she knew it, she was being startled awake by what appeared to be the sound of someone slamming windows open._

Sasha didn't know what he was supposed to say to that besides the obvious. "You're telling me, that you literally stowed yourself away in my trailer so that I would take you with me. That's insane, Payson!"

Payson responded immediately. "Believe me, I know. But it wasn't like you gave me any other choice." She sounded like she believed what she was saying, a part of Sasha wanted to laugh at the ludicrousness of the situation. It reminded him of when people would jokingly ask their friends to pack them in their suitcase when they went on holidays.

"Let me get this straight. You know that this is ridiculous?"

"Yes." Her single-worded response was so like her.

Sasha was a little relieved. "Good. I suppose that means you're going to co-operate when I put you on a bus back to Boulder in the morning."

"Not a chance in hell."

"Good, now- Wait, what? Payson, please don't make this harder than it has to be."

"I don't plan to. Because there will be no bus trip. The only way I'm going back to Boulder is if you agree to come back and coach us again. So, are you going to come back?"

"Payson, I have already explained that I will not be your coach again."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"If you'll just give me a moment." She walked back into the garage, and just as he was about to follow her, she returned with her gym bag over her shoulder, dragging a suitcase behind her in the other hand. He was frozen as he watched her walk towards him. She stood in front of him, looking determined, and he didn't know what to make of it.

This entire situation was out of the ordinary. He knew he wouldn't really stick her on a bus if she didn't want to go. But he didn't think he would be able to go back to Boulder and find the strength to leave again. It was hard enough the first time.

As he stood there staring at her, a mixture of emotions flooded his entire body. He had no idea how to react or what to say to her. The looks on his face were probably confusing her, or at least it seemed that way. It was becoming apparent that she wasn't going to leave without a fight; and he supposed she would have to stay here at least tonight.

So he finally spoke. "You can take my room tonight. I don't have another bed in the spare room, and I won't have you sleeping on the couch." When she opened her mouth to argue, he spoke again. "Don't argue with me, Payson. We'll talk more tomorrow. My room is the first door on the right. Go and find something to do while I head to the store, I need to buy food. I'll be back soon."

Payson watched him as he grabbed his keys off the kitchen table and walked out the front door. She heard the sound of his car starting, and listened as it faded away the further down the driveway he got.

She grabbed her things and headed over to Sasha's room. To be honest, she hadn't expected him to give in quite so quickly, but she had a feeling that the talk they would be having tomorrow was going to be about her going home. She just had to convince him to go with her.

She was stunned out of her thoughts as she saw Sasha's bedroom. There was a giant king-sized bed taking up the majority of the room. The bed was a deep blue, and looked incredibly comfortable. There was a set of drawers and a wardrobe on the far left wall, and a large window on the right. She walked further into the room, and was pleasantly surprised to see another flat-screen TV on the wall opposite the bed. The walls were painted a pale blue that went nicely with the darkish grey carpet. The window provided a wonderful view of the river, and the afternoon sun shined in creating a soothing warmth on her skin. It was so simple, and yet she found it perfect.

She didn't feel comfortable enough to unpack her things in Sasha's private space, so she just placed her bags under the TV. She then walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. It appeared her assumptions had been correct; the bed was incredibly comfortable. She leaned back and sighed as the fresh air blew in from the open window. She felt as if she could stay here forever.


	5. It's The Least I Can Do

Payson walked around the surrounding area of Sasha's house in Cambria, waiting for him to get back from the store. She had eventually gotten up from the comfort of Sasha's bed, and figured she might as well have a look around while she waited for him to come back.

It appeared that there were no other houses as far as her eyes could see. This place truly was in the middle of nowhere; and yet she wasn't surprised. From what she had read about Sasha in his book, he was the ultimate loner. He'd managed to hide himself away out here without anyone finding him.

Well, until Steve Tanner obviously. But Sasha seriously seemed to want to be secluded. Even when he came to The Rock, he lived in a trailer in front of the gym.

Payson had sometimes wondered why he didn't buy a house, but it wasn't until the past few days that she had thought it might be so that he could make a quick escape. He didn't have to tell anyone he was leaving, even though he did tell _her_; he would have been able to make a clean break again without anyone following him. But he made the mistake in wanting to give her some kind of explanation. It didn't work out so well, obviously.

Payson had no idea how long she had been walking around outside, but before she knew it she heard the familiar sound of Sasha's car as it pulled in the driveway. She couldn't see his face through the front window, but she could only hope that he wasn't quite as mad as before.

He may not have yelled, but she could tell his patience was wearing thin. She had honestly never seen the look on his face before. It hadn't scared her, more confused her really. She had never had anyone look at her like that before, like he really didn't know what to say or do. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn he gave in a little too easily. Not that she was going to complain.

As she walked over to the car, Sasha was hopping out. When he turned around after shutting his door, they locked eyes. She couldn't seem to find the will to look away, and it seemed neither could he. She almost stopped walking, but she focussed on putting one foot in front of the other, and eventually stood before him.

"Do you need any help bringing things in?" She figured if she at least tried to be helpful, he might be more inclined to let her stay.

He didn't respond immediately, but he eventually nodded. "Sure."

Sasha walked towards the back of the car; Payson following him with her head held high, as if she had done nothing wrong. He couldn't really find the will to yell at her, because it reminded him of himself.

Sasha had always seen himself in Payson, and that was where his biggest problem was at the moment. If Sasha knew Payson, and he knew her extremely well, he knew she wasn't going to give up without a fight. He had to admit, she would probably cause him a lot of hell before she went home.

Sasha handed Payson a few bags of groceries, making sure they were the lighter bags. Because he was looking for the lighter bags, he missed Payson's eye-roll.

He had to know a grocery bag wasn't going to strain her muscles too bad when she was an elite gymnast. But nevertheless, she thought it was a little sweet of him to make sure she didn't have to carry as much as him.

Payson and Sasha carried the bags inside in one trip. Payson placed the bags on the counter and Sasha did the same. She stared at them for a moment, before offering to help put them away.

Sasha looked at her for a moment, before answering her question. "You don't need to do that Payson. Besides, if you put things away, I won't know where to find them when you leave."

"All the more reason for me to help." She said with a grin.

Sasha really wasn't expecting her to say anything like that. He frowned a little in an attempt to counter the smile that wanted to creep out. He was honestly amused that she thought he would let her stay just because she knew where all the food was put away. "Payson, don't be ridiculous."

"You have to let me do something. I feel bad not helping with anything."

"You've been here for about two hours and you've already helped me bring the groceries in. I think that's enough for a guest; especially one who will be leaving very soon."

Payson ignored the jab at her leaving, and decided she would try another tactic. "At least say you'll let me make dinner for us. My mom taught me how to make a few things, and I'm sure I can make something special for us."

Sasha wasn't sure about the idea. But he figured it couldn't hurt. He was a self-confessed awful cook; he could probably give a dead person food poisoning and cause them to die a second time.

He finally agreed. "I suppose that would be alright. Help yourself to anything you need. I'm just going to go and look for some sheets to put on the couch. I'll be close, so just yell if you need me, okay?"

"Sure. I'll let you know when dinner is ready."

As Sasha walked out of the kitchen, heading towards the trailer, he looked over his shoulder and saw Payson making herself at home in his kitchen. He didn't mind the sight of it at all, and that was the problem. He liked having her around; even when she'd technically turned him into a kidnapper. He couldn't imagine what would happen if anyone found out where she really was. Which reminded him, he needed to ask her just why he wasn't getting panicked calls asking him if he knew where she was. Surely _someone_ must have noticed her missing after two days.

As Sasha opened the door to the trailer, the first thing he noticed was the lingering smell of Payson. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but he had a feeling it was a mixture of her shampoo and the kind of deodorant she was always spraying around at the gym. It was a nice smell, something floral that he couldn't put his finger on, and he found that it made him feel things he definitely shouldn't be feeling.

Sasha walked further into the trailer, and headed towards the storage cupboard near the bed. He opened the door and looked around before finally finding the sheets he was looking for. He pulled them off the shelf and tucked them under his arm as he used the other to shut the door. He started walking toward the trailer door, wondering what Payson was making for dinner, when his foot got caught in something. He stumbled for a moment, before righting himself.

Once he had fully regained his balance, he looked down to find out what he had tripped over. He stared in confusion for a few seconds, before placing the sheets on the small table. He knelt down and plucked the item from the floor, and held it up in front of his face to be sure that he was seeing what he thought he was. It was.

Sasha held the item in one hand as he grabbed the sheets with the other. Walking back into the house, he gently chucked the sheets onto the couch before heading over to the kitchen. "Payson?"

She responded, "Yeah?" She kept doing what she was doing and didn't turn around from the stove.

"Care to explain what _this_ was doing on the floor of my trailer?" He held the item up, slightly higher than his head, and waited for her to look at him.

Payson stirred the pot on the stove for a moment, before slowly turning around. She had no idea why Sasha would be asking her about something he found in his trailer. She turned around, and looked at what he was holding in his hand for a moment before she realised what it was. Her face turned an impossible shade of red, and she had no idea what to say. She opened her mouth to explain, but another wave of embarrassment washed over her and nothing came out.

"Payson? An answer to my question?" In Payson's opinion, he looked like he wanted to laugh. It only served to make her more embarrassed.

"Water. I spilt water. It got wet, so I had to change." She managed to get the words out. Sasha avoided looking at the bra he was still holding in his hand, but it didn't stop the embarrassment that was only getting worse. She wondered why he wasn't talking.

It took him a moment, but he eventually spoke. "I suppose that explains it. What I don't understand is why you're in one of my shirts instead of one of your own, especially since I know you bought a suitcase. You ran over my foot earlier, by the way."

"The zipper is stuck on my suitcase. I was going to wait until I'd gotten you to say I could stay before I asked you to help me get it unstuck. So will you?" She decided not to respond to the comment about running over his foot. She was pretty sure he was kidding because she didn't recall the incident occurring.

"I'm not exactly going to say no, Payson. I'll take a look at it after dinner. You can keep the shirt, by the way." He wasn't sure what made him add the last part, but he had to admit it looked good on her.

"Are you sure? I see you wearing it all the time." She played with the hem, therefore not seeing the look in Sasha's eyes as he stared at her.

"I'm sure. If we can't get this suitcase open then you'll have something to sleep in."

"I'll probably sleep in it anyway." It came out before she had a chance to think. She didn't say it too loudly, and she wasn't sure if he even heard her.

Sasha's eyes widened a little, but he quickly straightened his face. "Sorry, I didn't hear you. What was that?"

She wasn't sure whether he was lying or not, but either way it was an out. "I said I'm sure we'll get it open some way."

They stared at each other for a moment, before Payson's eyes locked on her bra again. Sasha's eyes followed her line of sight, and this time it was he whose face turned red. "Umm, here." He held the bra out to her awkwardly.

Despite the humiliation, his awkwardness was actually a little amusing. She nonchalantly turned back to the stove, and said to him over her shoulder, "Actually, I really need to stir this, would you mind just throwing it on the bed so I know where it is later?"

Sasha coughed nervously, "Sure. I'll be right back." He missed the smile on Payson's face.

The incident appeared to be forgotten as Sasha came back out to see Payson serving dinner at the table. He decided to get the cutlery, as it seemed she had only been able to find the bowls.

They took their seats and ate their dinner quietly, occasionally looking at each other and immediately looking away. Sasha was getting a little sick of the awkwardness, and so he decided to broach a question he had been thinking about earlier. "Payson, I was wondering if you could explain to me why I haven't received a thousand phone calls from people asking me if I know where you are?"

"After I read your letter, the only thing I could think about was that I couldn't do this without you. It sounds a little stupid, but I packed my bags pretty much the moment I finished reading. I was out of the house within twenty minutes to come after you and try to convince you to take me with you. I think I was a little bit over-emotional when I decided it would be a good idea to lock myself in your trailer."

Sasha interrupted, "That doesn't explain why nobody is questioning your whereabouts."

Payson sat up straight, "I told my mom that Andrea Conway asked me if I'd like to train at her gym for a while. I didn't say how long I'd be going for, but she agreed and I called her about the time I would have arrived so she wouldn't worry."

"That's a pretty crappy cover story. What if your mom calls the Conways and asks to speak with you?"

"I already called Andrea. She's agreed to cover for me for as long as it takes for me to get you back to The Rock." Payson couldn't help but smile proudly at the way everything had worked out.

Sasha was hesitant to admit that it wasn't exactly the worst cover story. He knew that realistically he should have called Kim the moment Payson had shown herself. He couldn't believe this was the first time he had actually thought about calling her. The thought honestly hadn't crossed his mind.

"This is so out of character for you, Payson. I never would have thought you capable of doing something like this." When he saw her face fall, he quickly continued. "I mean, it probably wasn't the smartest idea, but I am flattered that you would come after me even after the way I left you."

Her face lit up. "Does that mean you're going to let me stay?"

Sasha didn't respond immediately. "Payson, I can't just pretend that this isn't wrong. I mean, I'd be helping you lie to your parents. There are so many other things that are wrong with this situation that I don't even know where to start. I was supposed to be leaving The Rock to stop hurting you all, and I don't think that's going to change just because it's you and me out in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention how bad this would look if anyone found out."

"What do you mean?" Payson appeared genuinely confused as to what he meant by his last statement.

Sasha explained. "Well, how do you think it would look if it was found out that you'd run off to California to stay in a one-bedroom house with your ex-coach?"

"You're not my ex-coach. According to me you're still my coach." Payson happily supplied this information.

Sasha jumped in, "That's even worse."

Before he could continue, he was cut off by Payson. "And secondly, this house has two bedrooms. You just haven't put a bed in the other room." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Come to think of it, why don't you put a bed in there anyway? It'd give you somewhere to sleep."

Sasha laughed a little, "I like how you've insinuated that I would be the one to sleep in the new bed."

Realising that he was joking, Payson responded in kind. "Well, yours is very comfortable from what I could tell this afternoon. And as an aspiring Olympian, I need to get the best rest possible."

The cheeky grin on her face made him grin back at her. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." He knew he should be chastising her for her actions, but a very dominant part of him was extremely happy to have her here. It was this part of him that he was most afraid of. Because if he didn't manage to control it, he knew he would end up letting her stay.

Sasha let the grin fade from his face. "I think it's about time you head to bed. It's late enough as it is."

Payson looked at the table, where their empty bowls were sitting. "I can give you a hand with this. I don't mind."

Sasha shook his head. "You cooked. It's the least _I_ can do."

Payson smiled at his reference to earlier. "Okay then. I'll see you in the morning."

Sasha watched her walk towards the bedroom. She turned the handle and took a step into the room. But as she turned around to close the door, she paused. "Goodnight."

He smiled softly. "Goodnight, Payson." He added a little quieter, "Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams, Sasha." Her reply was just as soft, and he held eye-contact with her until the door had closed completely. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't look away.


End file.
